Celebrity hands raise thousands

Tilly spent four weeks in hospital after contracting meningitis

An auction of celebrity hand prints has raised £32,000 for a three-year-old girl who lost both her hands after contracting meningitis.

Tilly Lockey, of County Durham, lost her hands and toes to the disease aged 15 months in 2007.

Her prosthetic hands must be replaced at least once a year until she is 18.

More than 100 hand prints, including ones by Tom Hanks and Sir Cliff Richard, were sold at the event at Gateshead Hilton Hotel on Saturday.

'Amazing turnout'

Businessman Duncan Bannatyne bought a print by pop group Girls Aloud for £6,000 and said he would hang it in one of his hotels.

A print by Harry Potter author JK Rowling also raised £6,000 and an effort created by Sir Bobby Robson before his death raised £4,000.

Tilly's mother Sarah, of Consett, said: "The night went better than we could have ever hoped for and Tilly loved all the attention.

"It was so amazing to see such a big turnout for my little girl."

The toddler was fitted with a pair of £23,000 prosthetic hands in January, but these will need to be replaced when she outgrows them.

The ongoing Give Tilly A Hand appeal has raised about £150,000 since it began in 2007.